


Catalyst

by team_magi



Series: Commissions [1]
Category: Fallout 4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-18
Updated: 2018-06-18
Packaged: 2019-05-25 01:24:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14966078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/team_magi/pseuds/team_magi
Summary: An event triggers Diana's permanent departure from the Brotherhood of Steel.





	Catalyst

**Author's Note:**

> This is a commission for iamanemotionaltimebomb, featuring her sole survivor Diana Beckett.

This is part 1/5 of a series of commissions, for iamanemotionaltimebomb. 

Title: Catalyst

Word Count: 2,000

Summary: An event triggers Diana’s permanent departure from the Brotherhood of Steel.

Diana sat examining her power armor; being pre-war, it was still a little rusty in some places, despite it being in relatively good shape. 

But being on that part of the Prydwen also meant she was subjected to listening to her fellow members’ bigotry. While most of the Old War had perished, that line of thinking certainly hadn’t.

“Can you believe that some of the Brotherhood actually want to admit ghouls? They’re filthy vermin, not worthy of wearing our name.” Ah, that was Knight Rhys.

Rhys. Rhys was a constant thorn in her side, every since she joined the Brotherhood. He wasn’t like Haylen, who was also struggling with her devotion to what was becoming a cult; Rhys was the same kind of fanatic from the Old War, just like those “patriots” who spend their lives spreading American propangda. They could start slaughtering human settlements, and as long as Maxson said “it’s justified by the Codex”, Rhys wouldn’t try to fight it.

“Why shouldn’t we accept ghouls?” Diana asked, not even looking up from her armor. “You think they chose to be that way? They’re victims of radiation, they didn’t choose to be that way.” Diana had been a lawyer; using calm but logic-driven arguments was how she one cases. It was just too bad they didn’t really use logic here as much as they did fascism. “And some of them are pre-war. They could be vital to learning from humanity’s mistakes.” 

Rhys’ eyes narrowed, and he gave her that look he did whenever she questioned anything about the Brotherhood. “That’s what we’re here for.” Rhys snapped. “We keep the records, the documents, the technology. We don’t need them. And what would you know anyway?” 

“I lived the kind of suffering the ghouls have to endure. My people were prosecuted and put into concentration camps. And the Brotherhood isn’t better in that regard.” Diana said, standing up. 

“Watch what you say, Beckett.” Rhys growled. “You’re not as irreplacable as you think. And Maxson won’t stand with you spreading dissent.”

Diana scoffed. “That’s what you, and everyone, and Maxson keep saying. And yet, here I am.” Before he could say anything else, and because Diana knew that there was nothing anyone could say to change the mind of someone who was determined to be a bigot, she put down her blowtorch a little harder than usual, and turned and left, turning back to her quarters.

She sat at her desk, looking over papers and blueprints, but couldn’t concentrate.

Diana took an oath. She knew that. She knew the gravity of that.

Except she couldn’t fight the wavering of her faith in the Brotherhood. Where it was once as strong as the Brotherhood itself, now the future Diana saw for herself was crumbling, and it was because she could not ignore the Brotherhood’s faults.

It wasn’t like working with the Minutemen; they weren’t perfect either. They’d spread themselves too thin and far, and hadn’t dealt with the infighting properly, and it blew up in their faces. But the Brotherhood’s main goal was to wipe out everything that was mutated in any way.

She understood needing to kill Super Mutants-as much as she disagreed with the Brotherhood’s reason-them not being human-it really didn’t change the fact that Mutants were dangerous, and that they tore apart settlements and ate people, animals, and anything else that they could get their hands on, and there really wasn’t anything they could do except kill them. But it hadn’t escaped her notice that FEV was a virus, and one that the Brotherhood, despite its technology and knowledge of medicine, was not even attempting to cure. 

And ghouls? 

Ghouls didn’t choose to be that way; they were victims of this horrible new world, of background radiation. _It was not their choice._

This was not the first argument she had had with other members; she and Danse used to argue about it all the time. More than once, other knights or squires or others would overhear their yelling; then, others would keep their conversations with her short, or not make eye contact, and occasionally, pretend she wasn’t even there. It wasn’t good to be associated with the heretic. 

Except, of course, that stopped when Maxson ordered her to kill Danse for being a synth.

Maxson himself was the cause of few in the Brotherhood being willing to look her in the eyes anymore, for her criticisms of the Broherhood-of Maxson-were growing louder and louder. First, it was her criticizing Maxson’s age; “He’s a child with a drinking permit! I don’t care that he took down a deathclaw! I did that twice this morning!”

But for her, personally, Maxson looking her in the eye and ordering her to kill Danse, her mentor-her friend-had been the signal that the end was near. She didn’t need the Brotherhood nearly as much as they needed her, a fact she was reminded of because despite the threats, Maxson hadn’t demanded she hand over her dog tags and leave the Brotherhood.

“Beckett?” Haylen’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. “Elder Maxson wants to see you. Immediately.” 

Diana scoffed. “Probably another a talk about ‘spreading dissent’ or ‘attempting insurrection’ or whatever he’s saying.” 

“Diana, seriously,” Haylen’s use of her first name signified that it was something serious. “You need to learn to keep your thoughts to yourself. One day, you’re gonna push the Elder too far, and I’m scared of what he’ll do to you.” 

“Haylen, you obey him more out of fear than out of respect. Doesn’t that tell you something?” Diana asked. Haylen looked down at the floor, but didn’t respond. Diana sighed, and nodded. “Better go see him, before he throws another tantrum.” 

Meeting the Elder in his quarters, Maxson looked as sterned and as unhappy as ever. “Beckett.”

“Maxson.” 

Diana could see his eyes narrow. She had just used Maxson; not Elder, not sir, not even a yes. 

“You have one last chance to prove yourself to me.” Funny, that’s what he said about all of her other “last chances”. “These...people, and I use the term loosely, have been a thorn in our side. Moving synths, taking out our patrols, taking vital technology, spreading their propaganda. It has to come to an end.”

Diana could feel the same sense of dread creeping up on her; the same just before Maxson had looked her in the face and ordered her to kill her mentor. Something in her bones told her where this was going to go. But...the people she was thinking of were stealthy. Careful. 

“It will be difficult, I won’t lie. But I do have faith in your capability, if not your willingness. But hopefully, this will change that.”

He couldn’t be talking about...

“Your mission is to eliminate the Railroad.” 

Diana’s pupils dilated; she could feel the same white-hot fury she felt upon receiving Danse’s kill order set her nerves on fire again. 

“No.” Calm as the Charles River before the War, nothing to actually show the anger she was feeling inside.

Maxson looked as if she had slapped him. “What did you just say?”

“I said _no!_ I know you’re not used to hearing it Maxson, but you should still know what ‘no’ means.” 

Maxson took one step forward, with his finger pointed at her. “I gave you an order, Knight!” 

“I don’t care! I won’t do it! You already ordered me to kill Danse, and now this? I won’t march in there and slaughter people who should be our allies!” 

“Our allies? Is that some kind of _joke?_ ” He spat. “The insinuation they spread that synths are people could turn the people of the Commonwealth sympathetic towards them! 

“The Railroad fights the Institute! The only other group in the Commonwealth that does! We can’t just put our differences aside for now until the Institute is dealt with?” 

“Our _differences?_ We’re not discussing tactics or slight differences of opinion! They stand for everything the Brotherhood is against!” 

Diana could feel her face turning red. “You are a short-sighted fool, Maxson!” 

“Tell me, where has your loyalty to the Brotherhood gone? You disobey orders, you disobey me! Do our goals, our message, our purpose, mean nothing to you?” 

“What purpose?” Diana shouted. “To wipe out everything else until we’re all that’s left? Is this a Brotherhood, or a cult? If someone is your brother, your ability to love them doesn’t interfere with your ability to tell them to cut their shit!” 

“Beckett!” 

Diana turned, not even sparing a backwards glance.

“You can’t walk out on me!”

“Oh, yes I can!” Maxson genuinely thought he could control her. But she knew the truth.

Maxson put up with her defiance and questioning and outright disobeying orders because he needed her. He needed her more than he needed almost anyone else, except she didn’t need him or the Brotherhood. She had the Minutemen, a group of people actually dedicated to serving the greater good. And now, enough was enough.

People stopped and stared, and she could hear the whispers. She just defied the Elder! Has she lost her mind? What was she thinking?

Diana left the Prydwen for several hours, returning only when it was getting dark. Those on the flight deck just let her take off. Maybe they were hoping her blowing off some steam would do her good. But while she did come back, it was not for good. Just a few things, she thought. But she’d have to be gone by morning.

She’d acquired a can of spray paint from Hardware Town, when she was looking for paint for Diamond City’s walls, and in a bright spray of red, right where Maxson could see from his perch, was Fuck the Brotherhood!

It was silent on the ship except for the engines; most everyone was asleep. And if someone caught her vandalizing, she could just knock them out and pose them. Or come up with some excuse; couldn’t sleep, need to work, or study, or something.

She crawled up into Maxson’s quarters-he was sound asleep, and she was ready with a 200 plus year old razor she’d found-a little rust, but as long as she didn’t cut him, it would be fine. A little bit of water from a bottle in her pack, and Maxson’s face was as smooth as ceramic. 

One last thing, Diana thought, as she climbed down the stairs. One last thing, before it was goodbye...hopefully, not forever, but for now.

She quietly tipped-toed through the ship, keeping her excuses ready if she needed them. The last thing, but definitely the most important.

When she crawled into the underneath near the infirmary, Haylen was asleep at her desk, near a broken terminal displaying an error screen. As much as Diana would’ve liked a proper goodbye, maybe this was easier; she still wasn’t certain that Hayden wouldn’t try to talk her out of leaving, more out of concern for her well-being than out of loyalty to the Brotherhood. She quietly slipped a holotape right next to her, an encrypted one that Haylen could decipher but totally conspicious. It only said one thing: if you want to leave, there will always be a place for you in the Minutemen. 

More than anything else, Diana was concerned for Haylen’s safety-there was no telling how Maxson was going to react when it was discovered Diana had gone. But at least she was certain that Haylen would have the sense to destroy the tape when she was done with it. And hopefully, one day leave.

And that was it. Smooth so far. Just needed to quietly slip out. 

Back on the flight deck, she just had to deal with the flight lieutenant. Honestly, worst came to worst, she could just throw him off the ship. 

Diana went right up to him. “I’ve got a mission from Elder Maxson,” That was true, technically. And maybe it would take them all long enough to figure out she wasn’t going to carry it out. “I need to leave, immediately.” 

“Right,” The man stuttered. “Of course. Glad you changed your mind.” Diana gave a small smile as he prepped Claymore for flight. “Good luck, Knight Beckett. Ad Victoriam.” 

“Ad Victoriam.” It took a lot of effort to keep the sarcasm out. But once she was up in the air, she was safe. She’d gotten away clean. And hopefully, Haylen was right behind her. 

The next morning, Maxson woke up with his face much colder- he looked in the mirror in his cabin, and saw why. His facial hair was completely gone, his scar totally visible. He balked-he was the butt of a practical joke! Who would do this? Who would dare-

“Elder? Sir?” Another Knight stood behind his closed door. “It’s Beckett-she left in the middle of the night, apparently on your orders. And there’s something else...” 

Anger and mild bewilderment were immediately replaced by a blinding, white hot fury. Not just at the vandalism of his ship, or his face-but Diana had told him no, and gotten away from him, with the convenient excuse he had given her. “What else, Knight?” 

“Look, sir.” 

Right below his quarters. In bright red paint.

_Fuck the Brotherhood!_

Meanwhile, right in the heart of Sanctuary, nice and far from the Brotherhood’s airship, content with the sound of the radio and the presence of her friends, Diana sat in a circle, with Preston and Sturges. Sanctuary was lovely this of the day; the sun had set, and the string lights gave the up-and-coming town a small glow. 

“Wait, wait, wait. You wrote ‘fuck the Brotherhood’ and shaved Maxson in his sleep?” Preston asked.

Diana took a sip of her water. “I did him a favor! It looked like a fucking squirrel died on his face!” She said, pointing in the direction the Prydwen was in with her bottle in hand.

Preston laughed so hard, he nearly lost his hat, and Sturges was red in the face, slapping his knee.

“What about your power armor?” Preston asked.

“Screw it.” Diana spat. “They can keep it. I’ll find more.” 

Riding herself of the Brotherhood meant that she had lost more than her power armor; she’d lost some very powerful allies as well. She was a pariah now, and could no longer call on them when the time to attack the Institute came. But...she couldn’t take it anymore. Damn the consequences, she was done. She had the Minutemen. She didn’t need them.

“We’ll have to take care of them at some point,” Preston said. “Especially now that they probably figured out that you’re gone for good.” 

“And we will. We can take out the Prydwen with the artillery. But that’s for another day.” She smiled. She wanted to wait and see if Haylen would leave on her own. She wouldn’t kill her unless she absolutely had to. “Right now, let’s just enjoy the night. To the Minutemen!” 

“The Minutemen!” Sturges and Preston tapped their bottles with hers, while Diana was already thinking of a new plan. She’d have to warn the Railroad, she thought. The Brotherhood was hot on their trail. And probably on hers. 

But that would be tomorrow. Tonight was the first night in a long while she was free.


End file.
